Sally Rippinhas a very clear memory of herself as a child. She remembers the details of her primary school years with surprising clarity: the trials, the treason, the tribulations, as well as all the lovely things that exist in childhood friendships.

“In creating Billie and Jack I have mined my memories of these years, particularly the emotional details, as much as I can, which I hope creates characters that feel authentic to children and trigger precious memories in adults, too. I have aimed to make the language fun and accessible but for the stories to run deep. I want children to fall in love with Billie and Jack – either identifying with them or thinking of them as close friends. I hope the Billie and Jack books will make a great introduction to a lifelong love of reading.”

Sally was born in Darwin, but grew up mainly in South-East Asia. As an adult she spent three years in China studying traditional Chinese painting before moving to France with her family for three years. Now she lives in Melbourne, Australia, where she writes and illustrates for children of all ages.